


Stay

by Cwartsy



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-15 06:12:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16927947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cwartsy/pseuds/Cwartsy
Summary: Alastor is in trouble with his beloved. He knows Baxter's livid with him but he can't help smiling. He can't regret something if he did it for his Baxy and he knows Baxter won't can't mad at him. Alastor knows every trick there is to make Baxter's anger melt away and he's sure he'll have him smiling within five minutes. But he has no idea what thoughts Baxter has hidden away and what he thinks will be an easily resolved qurarrel turns into a nightmare.





	Stay

“Go to blazes!” Baxter shouted as he slammed the door in Alastor’s face.

“Cute.” Alastor thought to himself. Baxter must have been so frustrated he forgot a door would do nothing to keep him out. He was in Baxter’s room in less than a second. But did not have much longer to persuade his partner not to throw him back out again. 

“Out!” yelled said partner pointing to the door. His mind already made up. Alastor couldn’t help but smile at him. God, he was adorable when he was like this. 

“Oh come on, darl.” he said gently, “Don’t be mad at me. All I did was have a few words with your new friend.”

“You must really think I’m a fool.” Baxter growled, “I’m not deaf, Alastor. I heard every word you said to him. 

“I just told him pursuing a friendship with you was fine with me but if he had any other, less innocent, intentions with you then I would have a problem.” Alastor defended, “What’s so bad about that?”

“You threatened him!” Baxter shouted indignantly, “Don’t you dare try to deny it, Alastor! You threatened him because you couldn’t handle it that someone had the audacity to want to be around me.”

“I know! The nerve of that bastard.” Alastor hissed. The air in his mouth turned sour at the memory of seeing this utter sleaze eyeing up his Baxter while sweet, innocent Baxy was completely oblivious.

“Alastor, if anyone should be able to detect sarcasm it’s you.” Baxter said coldly, “Why do you have to be so possessive? What’s wrong with me having a friend outside of our dysfunctional circle of nutcases?”

“All of whom, you love and you know it.” Alastor argued playfully, avoiding the question entirely. 

“Yes I do but they’re all barking mad and you know it. And I’m in a relationship with the maddest one of the lot, God help me.” Baxter argued back not so playfully, “I just need a break from the insanity of this place sometimes. I enjoy spending time with Jack because he’s sensible and mellow. With him, I can take a break from, this;"

With that said, Baxter shoved his phone in front of Alastor’s eyes. It revealed Baxter had recorded one of today’s earlier events of anarchy. Angel was high as hell, as was Nifty because someone had been daft enough to let her near caffeine again and the rest of the group were fighting with each other. Evidently over who the fuck let Nifty near caffeine, they know what happens. It was the usual madness that went on in the hotel they called home every single day. 

This should have made Alastor see where Baxter was coming from. Instead, all he saw was that his Baxter had sent the video to Jack, with a message saying, “Save me”. He slipped the phone out of Baxter’s hand. Pretending he wanted a better look when really, he was looking at the other messages the two had sent to each other.

His mood darkened a little when his suspicions of this asshole were confirmed. Every message he had sent to Baxter clearly showed he was flirting with him. It was almost annoying Baxter couldn’t see it but it wasn’t at all surprising. Since Baxter was pure and good. And faithful too. He hadn’t been flirtatious once, not that Alastor ever thought he would. This was why Alastor wasn’t angry with Baxter at all. He hadn’t done anything wrong. The poor thing couldn’t help it if he was to innocent for his own good.   
Alastor didn’t want to tell Baxter who he could and couldn’t see. So he opted to convince Baxter he didn’t need this creep. 

“Vaggie is both of those things. So is Arachnis and, to some degree, Husk. Why don’t you spend more time with them?” he debated. 

“Alastor, Vaggie is joined at the hip with Angel Dust. One of the main causes of mayhem here. And also, if you think Vaggie is mellow then you‘ve never experienced how short her temper is.” Baxter responded, “As for Arachnis and Husk, I’ll be honest, I don’t think either of them like me very much.”

“Well neither of those two seem to like anyone very much. They’re cold to everyone and shut them out, even the people they care about. I know a certain stubborn someone who has the same terrible habit. How he made a new friend at all is a mystery.” Alastor argued, not realising how mean-spirited his words sounded. 

“Look. If you’re not actually sorry, why don’t you fuck off!?” Baxter suddenly snapped, stopping Alastor in his tracks.

Hearing Baxter swear caught Alastor off guard every time. It was so rare and out of character for him to use such language. Alastor learned long ago that Baxter only swore when he was extremely upset or furious. Remembering this made him realise he could be in deep trouble if he didn’t take immediate action. 

“Oh dear. Looks like I’ve got a real snappy little piranha on my hands this time.” Alastor cooed, talking to his beloved as a parent would to their pouting child. “Fortunately for me, I know just how to deal with him. Come here, you.”

Alastor made a grab for Baxter but Baxter wasn’t having any of it.

“Alastor, I swear to God. If you think I’m going to let you in my bed after what you did tonight, you won’t be going out the door. You’ll be going out the window!” he shouted but Alastor merely chuckled.

“No need to fret, dear pet. I wouldn’t expect anything like that from you when you’re in a mood like this. It’s just that, I know if I don’t do something to warm you up now you’ll be frigid with me all week.” Alastor assured him, nuzzling him affectionately only to receive hisses from his partner in response. 

“I have a feeling a few kisses will turn you back into my loving little gourami. And there’s only one way to find out if I’m right.”   
With that, Alastor ensnared Baxter in his embrace and began pelting him with kisses.

“Alastor, please.” Baxter groaned, trying to push Alastor away. Alastor pretended he didn’t hear him. This always worked with Baxter. Shower him in affection and no matter how mad he would be, he would never be able to stay that way. It had worked every time before, so Alastor continued placing kisses along Baxter’s jawline and cheekbones with confidence. 

“Alastor.” Baxter said again, louder and stern. But this attempt to get his lover’s attention was just as futile as the last. All Alastor did was move his lips down to Baxter’s neck. Any second now, he’d be smiling and laughing. Like always. Then Alastor would say he was sorry and Baxter would believe him and this feud would finally be over.   
“Alastor, for God’s sake! Could you please actually listen to me for one moment, like you actually give a damn!?” Baxter screamed with a desperation in his voice Alastor had never heard before. 

Alastor’s smile dropped. He stopped kissing Baxter and he was shoved away with such force he was nearly knocked to the ground. 

Alastor knew he had messed up when he saw the look on his partner’s face. Baxter looked like he was fighting back tears when he exploded at him. 

“You never take me seriously when I’m angry! Every time I get upset with you, you try to charm me into shutting up! You just don’t seem to see that there’s a problem. And even if you did, you wouldn’t care enough to try and solve it. Would you?” 

Alastor wasn’t sure if that was a rhetorical question or not but he thought it would be best not to answer. His everything wanted him to listen, so that was what he was going to do.  
“And do you want to know something else, Alastor? Tonight has taught me that you’re like a selfish child. You don’t like anyone else playing with your toys!”

At this point, Alastor was very confused and starting to get upset himself. The harsh words stung but he couldn’t make any sense out of them.

“What the hell are you talking about?” he demanded Baxter give an explanation. 

Baxter took a step back and collapsed onto the edge of his bed, as if getting all of this out was taking all of his energy out of him. He avoided eye contact with Alastor now. He stared at the floor and took a deep breath in like he was mentally preparing himself to say what was really on his mind.

“I’m starting to think that you don’t take me seriously in general. That you don’t care about how I feel. For a while now, I’ve noticed that you often take an interest in something and then eventually, you abandon it. You get bored with it and move onto something else. Is that what’s going to happen to you and me? How do you really see our relationship, Alastor? Is it important to you? Is it meaningful? Or do you just see it as an elaborate game you can play and discard once you get tired of it?!” 

Baxter had struggled to get these confessions out and now, he was curled up in a little ball with his face hidden. Undoubtedly to hide those tears he couldn’t keep at bay anymore. Finally, he ended with a pained whisper;

“Am I just something for you to play with and throw away?” 

Alastor just stood there shocked for a moment. He had no idea Baxter felt that way. He couldn’t believe the man he loved thought he meant so little to him. Alastor loved him more than anything. How could Baxter doubt he even cared for him? And who knew how long he had been bottling up these feelings. It was horrible to realise it, but it was clear as day. Baxter was despairingly unhappy. And he may have been unhappy for a long time. 

Alastor’s first instinct was to comfort Baxter. He rushed over to him but Baxter just pushed him away. He tried to tell his partner that everything he had just said could not possibly be more wrong. That he had no idea where any of it was coming from and that it hurt to know Baxter thought such terrible things. That he loved him and thought the world of him. But before he could say anything, Baxter cut him off. He pierced Alastor’s soul with watery eyes and said.

“Alastor, I think it’s time we split up.”

 

Alastor woke up with a start. He sat there in the dark bolt upright, panting and trying to figure out what was happening. 

It was night. He was in bed. So clearly, he had been asleep. Alastor immediately checked the space beside him and there was Baxter right next to him. Oh thank God. It was all just a horrid dream. 

Baxter woke up the second he felt his partner all but spring out of bed. When he saw Alastor, he became quite worried. He hadn’t seen him look like that since Crymini moved in. Obviously, something was wrong.

“What’s the matter?“ he asked Alastor concerned. 

“Nothing.” said Alastor “Just had a bad dream, that’s all.” 

Baxter, bless him, was quick to comfort Alastor. 

“It must have been bad for you to wake up like that.” he said with genuine sympathy, “You poor thing.” 

He put his arms around Alastor. Unaware he was falling into a living trap until it was too late. The second Baxter came into contact, Alastor latched onto him and clung so tightly he half crushed him. 

If Baxter hadn’t already known something was wrong, he would have now. Whatever Alastor dreamt must have been horrible. Baxter had lost count of all the times Alastor gave up sleep to comfort him after frequent night terrors. Now he could do the same for Alastor.

Luckily, as clueless and awkward Baxter was when comforting most people, he was an expert on comforting Alastor. He knew Alastor was a cuddle monster and stroking him behind his ear practically sent him to sleep. So he provided both for his partner and let him lean on his shoulder so he could speak softly directly into the ear he was caressing.

“It’s alright. he said, “It was just a dream. It wasn’t real. Unless you dreamt about the past, like I sometimes do. If so, it was the past. It’s over and whatever it was, it will not happen to you again. I wouldn’t let it. You’re safe in the hotel with me. I’m here for you.”

Alastor thanked whatever higher power was up there for Baxter. Thoughtful, caring, loving Baxter. Surely he didn’t deserve him. 

“Baxter, how you became a demon I will never know.” Alastor told his beloved. “I love you. You know that, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

“And you wouldn’t ever leave me, would you? Promise me you won’t.” 

‘Why would I do that?” Baxter said, as if Alastor had said something silly. But then he got it. 

“Hold on.” he said. Squirming out of Alastor’s bear hug just enough so that he could look at him. “This wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with your dream now, would it?”

Alastor solemnly nodded. 

“That was your nightmare?” Baxter laughed, making Alastor blush in embarrassment, “Oh Al, that’s adorable. Do you really love me that much?” 

“Yes!” Alastor said indignantly, “Why wouldn’t I?” 

“I’m sorry for laughing.” Baxter apologised when he noticed how mortified Alastor looked, “I couldn’t help it. This is just precious to me. Now look at me.”   
He held his lover’s face in his hands and made him look him in the eye. 

“Alastor, I promise you. I have no intentions of leaving.” he assured, “I love you and I’m very happy. Happier than I’ve been in a long time. I wouldn’t leave you for anything.”

And to show Alastor he meant it, Baxter gave him a kiss. He had meant it to be a quick, reassuring peck on the lips. But once their lips met, Alastor couldn’t let them part.   
When Baxter tried to pull away, Alastor pulled him back for another kiss. And then another. And then the next thing either knew, they were locked in a kiss that could only be compared with their first. 

When Alastor finally plucked up the courage to tell Baxter how he felt, he had poured out all his feelings to him. Bared his soul to him and yet Baxter still had trouble believing what was happening. So Alastor tried to get all his feelings through to Baxter with a kiss. 

Tender, passionate and loving. It was a kiss to show Baxter just how much he loved him. And now, Alastor tried to improve on that kiss. To show his little ocean gem that he loved him more than ever. 

The kiss only ended when their pesky lungs demanded air. Alastor lay back down again but he still refused to let go of Baxter. He merely gently pulled him down with him. He held him close, stroking his hair and kissing the top of his head while Baxter settled down onto his chest. They stayed like that for a few moments before Baxter spoke again. 

“Why would you think I would want to leave you anyway?” he asked. 

“Because I’m a callous, inconsiderate psychopath who you think has no respect for you or your feelings? And you think I take you for a plaything and I’ll ditch you as soon as I get bored?” Alastor babbled before he could stop himself. 

Baxter looked up at him horrified. “Why on earth would you think that?” 

“Half of it comes from your own words.” Alastor admitted. “The rest came from the dream.”

Alastor thought he might have made a mistake telling Baxter this when he saw his reaction. He looked shocked and for some reason, sad. A moment later, Alastor knew why.   
“I made you see yourself that way?” asked poor Baxter. 

“No! That’s not what I meant at all!” Alastor responded immediately, cursing himself for making Baxter feel awful over a senseless dream. “I meant I think my dream was based on arguments we’ve had before when I was in the wrong.

“But some of it still came from the things I’ve said.” Baxter said, hugging Alastor hard, “I’ve said some horrible things to you but I don’t mean them. Maybe I did once but not anymore. Not after getting to know who you really are. I’m sorry.’ 

“Hey, stop that. You know I can’t stand it when you beat yourself up.” Alastor said, hugging Baxter back. “That was a long time ago, Bax and I was no better. We haven’t always   
treated each other nicely, but it’s different now. Of course we still fight, just like every other couple ever to exist. But wouldn’t you say things between us are a lot better?”

“There can be no doubt about that.” Baxter said, “Our relationship would never have happened otherwise. Please don’t think such awful things, Alastor. None of them are true. Well, some of it to a small degree admittedly is. You can be callous but only to people you think deserve it. Never to anyone you care for and certainly not to me. When you are inconsiderate, you soon or at least eventually realise it and then you do you’re best to make up for it. We both know you’re not perfectly sane but you are not a psychopath and having a mental disorder is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a lot more common than people think. Nearly everyone here has some kind of problem or another. God knows I do. That’s why this hotel has a hospital in it. Help is here for you and so am I. And Alastor, none of these things make me love you any less.”

Alastor listened closely to Baxter’s words. The more he heard the better he felt. Bless him, bless him, bless him. He always knew just what to say. 

“The rest of what you said however,” Baxter continued “is complete nonsense. I have no idea what I could have done or said to make you think that was how I saw you.”

“You haven’t done anything.” Alastor insisted, “I’m not sure where those thoughts came from either. I think it was nothing more than fabricated dream folly.”

“Maybe,” Baxter said uncertain, “but I would like you to bring this up next time you see one of the doctors. Just in case. I have a feeling it might hold a deeper meaning.” 

Alastor agreed but didn’t mention it in case Baxter went back to thinking he was at fault. He just said he would do as Baxter requested. 

“But know this now.” Baxter said to him, “If I really thought you were only using me, I would have ended this relationship long ago. But I’m still here and do you know why?”  
“Why?”

“Because I’ve never thought that. Even from the beginning, I knew how important our relationship is to you. I couldn’t possibly think otherwise after all you’ve done for me. You’ve shown me time and time again how much I mean to you and I know my feelings are just as important to you as yours are to me. You love to see me happy and hate to see me upset. When I am upset, you’re determined to find out why. And once you do, you go out of your way to make it better for me. You’re always performing these ridiculous grand gestures, just to make me smile. You can be a handful sometimes, Alastor but at the end of the day. With you, I can’t help but feel loved."

This right here was why Alastor felt more alive now than he did when he was actually alive. During his final years, he didn’t have someone to make him feel anything except despair and a thirst for vengeance. Everyone he had loved, he had long since lost. But Baxter, he would always be with Alastor as long as he was there to protect him. And he made him feel everything. Alastor was sorry to see Baxter in a place like this. Him and all the other misfits. But as despicable as it might be, he was thankful they were here. To have someone to love again, death and damnation were a small price.

“And you always find out if something is bothering me no matter what. Even if it means hypnotizing it out of me.” he added, jabbing Alastor playfully. 

“I wouldn’t have to if you would just tell me what was wrong to begin with. When will you learn that it’s much better to actually talk to people instead of bottling everything up?” he bantered back, “You know for someone who claims to be terrible at talking to people, you are quite a wonder to talk to. You don’t deny people have flaws. You acknowledge them. You’re honest about them and yet you can still find a way to make one feel better about the flaws they have. 

“Do you really think so?” Baxter asked. 

“I know so.” Alastor praised, “That’s exactly what you’ve done for me now. Thank you, darl.”

Alastor found himself staring at the face in front of him. God, he lived to see that face. His captivating eyes, his adorable freckles, his sweet smile, even his more peculiar features. like those precious little fins on his face and his cute little fishing rod. Every detail of Baxter’s face had Alastor’s hand caressing it as if it had a mind of it’s own. 

“I am so lucky to have someone like you.” Alastor whispered, “I want to keep you forever.”

“Then I will happily be yours until this place freezes over.” Baxter said, still smiling. “You’ll get no complaints from me.”

And then, because everything within him told him it was the perfect moment, and because he could, Alastor kissed Baxter again. In the back of his mind, he knew this discussion wasn’t over. There were parts of his dream he couldn’t make sense of. But he knew other parts had been reminders of problems they really did have and needed to talk about.  
For now though, the reassurance he had already received was all he needed. He would take the time to sit down and talk with Baxter tomorrow. He knew Baxter would listen and he indulged in the knowledge that he would spend many more nights with the man he loved in his arms.


End file.
